1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to honey supers, and particularly to a honey super construction wherein the comb frames are integral with the framework of the honey super.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The terms "honey super" and "hive body" are used by beekeepers to designate sections of a beehive that can be added to or subtracted from a bee colony as space requirements for the bees and/or the storage of honey dictates. The sections at the bottom of the bee colony where the bees have their nest is usually known as a hive body, while those on top of the hive body in which the honey is stored are generally referred to as honey supers.
The hive body or bodies containing the brood nest of the bees must have removable combs so that conditions in the nest can be readily examined. There are situations, however, where solid or unmovable combs could be of advantage in a honey super. Further, the advent of synthetic resins permits molding of certain complex parts usable in honey supers and hive bodies in an economical manner not previously achievable.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,110,044, issued Nov. 12, 1963 to W. Dullas, and 3,579,676, issued May 25, 1971 to P. W. Pierce, disclose beehive sections which are molded from a suitable synthetic resin. These known molded hive sections, however, are intended to take conventional comb frames such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,676 and as also set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,282,645, issued Oct. 22, 1918 to E. L. Sechrist; 1,239,536, issued Sept. 11, 1917 to F. W. Summerfield; 2,591,328, issued Apr. 1, 1952 to J. Yanik; 2,604,643, issued July 29, 1952 to R. P. Hamilton; and 3,231,907, issued Feb. 1, 1966 to W. Z. Covington. These known frames generally consist of a substantially rectangular frame with a pair of trunnion-like extensions on an uppermost portion of the frame in order to engage suitable abutments provided in the hive section. A comb foundation which may be a suitable wire or synthetic mesh, and the like, is affixed to the frame, although it is possible to provide a molded frame as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,328 in which recesses of predetermined configuration are provided in order to mold the honey in such a configuration directly in the comb.